The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-28
A RABBIT PLAGUE.
A State and Two Territories
Oyerrun With the Pests.
The Inhiction Almost as Damag-
ing as in Australia.

General Brisbin says in special to the
New York World that ''the rabbits are again
becoming plague in many portions OF Ida
no, Nevada and Wyoming. These little bon
nies bid fair to do as much damage in our
country as they have in Australia unless
timely steps are taken for their extermlna-
tion In Australia in many places they
have eaten up the whole of the country,
even the sheep pastures being destroyed by
them. 1t seems strange that national legls-
lation should be required against so small an
animal as a rabbit, but the English
colonists Of Australia are glad enough TO
have the Government aid them In de-
stroying the little pests Everything green
and every blade Of grass is eaten by
them to the earth, and, except the
grasshopper, it would be impossible to con-
celve of anything more destructive to vegeta.
ton than rabbit They appear in vast
armies, and, moving across country, strip
it of all vegetable matter. Gardens are their
special delight, and not vegetable IS LETT
where they can once take held.
"When out in Idaho, year or two ago,
had some experience with rabbits. They ap-
peared in great numbers along. the Oregon
Short Line, and at some towns destroyed all
the gardens Near Boise they attacked the
grain fields and even the pastures. The meth
ods of destroying them were sometimes quite
novel, One gentleman who had gram
field and q garden patch surrounded the
field with board on his fence next to the
ground. Above the board he lrew wire
very tightly, and just close enough to the
board to let the rabbits head trough. In
irving to get over the board they got fast
and hanged themselves. His field was pretty
well strung around every morning with dead
rabbits.
Another farmer put brush fence around
his field and here and there made hole
through it. On the other side of the holes
he sank large boxes in the ground. The
bunnies would run through the hole, fall into
the boxes and be unable to get out. Another
farmer put boxes under his fences with tlltlng
lids The outside was firm enough, but no sooner
would the rabbit attempt to run through than
the treacherous lid would tip up and land him
in the box below. Then it would tip back
into its place again and be ready for another
rabbit. In the morning the boys, armed
with pitchforks, would go around the field,
kill the rabbits and pitch them into wagon.
They often got wagon load in morning.
The rabbits were fed to the hogs.
Another method was the surround, A
large pit or hole was dug in the ground where
the rabbits were thickest, and brush piled
around the pit for some distance out. Then
the men and boys made a surround, beating
the brush up and frightening the Dummies to-
ward the pit AS they closed IN the raDolts
would take refuge in the brush around the hole
or pit When all had closed in the brush was
fred all around the outside, and the little
creatures to escape the flames would jump
into the pit Those that did not fall into the
pit were roasted or killed by the men and boys
who stood close together around the outside
armed with clubs and pitchforks.
LUX & Miller, the great cattle raisers,
whose ranches were completely overrun with
rabbits. offered n reward Of five cents apiece
for them, and the boys made good wages
killing them. A boy in day with good
luck could kill and deliver from fifty
to one hundred, so he made good sum.
Lux & Miller threwtthe dead rabbits intoa big
vat, where they were boiled, skin and all and
then fed to TIE hogs to fatten them. 1t is
said they make good hog feed, and the hogs
fatten very rapidly upon rabbit flesh.
"Pasteur, the great French specialist and
curer of mad-dog's bite by incubation, says
he can kill off all the rabbits in the United
States and Australia by incubation. His
plan is to inot:ulate live rabbits with
chicken cholera and then let them 60
among the other rabbits. The disease is very
contagious and fatal, and he contends they
would soon give it to each other and all die
off. 1t is certainly worth trying, for a
greater pest than an excess of rabbits can
mot ha ima oinal y